Foundation garment



Dec. 15, 1942. A. GOLDSTEIN 4 1 FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Feb. 12, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Fl gal I I 1N VENTOR.

ARTHUR GOLOSTE/N,

ATTORNEY.

1942- A. GOLDSTElN FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Feb. 12. 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A a THUR 6 01. 0.57'E/N,

0% ATTORNEY.

Dec. 15, 1942. V GOLDSTElN 2,304,812

FOUNDAT I ON GARMENT Filed Feb. 12, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1N VENTOR. Aer/41m 601.05 TE/N BY I , 5 r r I I .1

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,804,812 FOUNDATION GARMENT Arthur Goldsteln, New York, N. Y. Application February 12, 1941, Serial No. 378,617.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparel garments, generally of the corset type and referred. to as foundation garments; more particularly a so-called all-in-one garment, which associates together a torso enveloping section and a brassiere, as well as a torso enveloping section by itself, commonly called a girdle.

My invention specifically aims to improve a construction embodied in the patent to Brown 2,052,163, granted August 25, 1936.

The B1 own patent exemplifies a foundation garment imluding an inelastic front member covering the front central portion of the body, generally arranged to lie from points in close proximity to the crest of the ,pubis upwardly and. covering the visceral cavity, and in close adiacen :y to the lower ribs but not extending to either side of the medial line to the crests of the ilium.

With this front member there are associated two elastic side membersand two elastic hip tached to the lower sides of said side members and have elastic threads arranged in a direction diverging downwardly from the lower sides of said side members so that the elastic threads of structure of the body, exerting gentle persuasive pressure upwardly from the crest of the pubis by the action of the side members on the inelastic front member.

The hip members, which are attached to the lower edges of said side members withtheir elastic threads almost at right angles to the direction of the elastic threads of the side members, serve totauten the inelastic front member while tending to cooperate to lift the crest of the pubis about the upper head of the femur, and there-' fore effect correct posture.

This type of construction, where embodying woven elastic fabric, distensible primarily in the direction of the elastic threads, with lesser degrees of distensibility in the bias direction, is highly effective for its intended purpose. However, as requirements of the younger individuals wearing this garment may be towards greater activity and freedom of movement, I have found that the principles of the construction of the Brown patent may be retained and the features thereof accentuated by providing the elastic threads in the relationship taught by the Brown patent, to dispose them in a. manner to provide torsional acfiustment in the plane of the fabric,

without sacrificing the primary arrangement, while altering the relationship of the threads, which intensifies the stresses that these elastic threads exert in the directional relationship,

Accordingly, my invention has for its objective the provision of a foundation garment in.

'front member, to provide the principal elastic distensibilityin a direction upwardly from the sides of the inelastic front member. 4

To these side members, at their lower edges, there are attached hip members of a fabric in which elastic warp threads are a part, arranged in a direction diverging downwardly from the lower sides of said side members so that the principal distensibility is in a direction of the elastic warp threads, thereby providing the principal distensibility in the side members and hip members, respectively, substantially at right angles to each other.

. The elastic threads in both the side members and the hip members are preferably disposed in relation to each other to provide torsional ad-' J'ustment in a plane parallel to the surface of the fabric, while intensifying the stresses that the elastic threads exert during such adjustment.

The desired objective of my garment to adapt it to increased activity of the body, while retaining all of the desired features of the construction exemplified in the Brown patent, is achieved in my preferred form of the invention by the employment of a warp knit elastic fabric. This warp knit elastic fabric is mentioned as an exemplification of a material, the components of which, when arranged in the manner described in connection with the Brown patent aforementioned, while providing the primary elastic distensibility in one direction, permits a surface torsional adjustment in the plane of the fabric.- Accordingly, while I prefer to use, in the assembly hereinbefore mentioned, and more particularly hereinafter described, a warp knit elastic fabric, I do not intend that my invention shall be limited to this material as two-way stretch materials may be utilized where adjustment is made to secure a surface torsional adjustment, while retaining the primary elastic distensibility in one direction as compared with the elastic distensibility in the bias or cross direction, that is, at right angles to the elastic warp threads.

Another object of my invention resides in providing an undergarment construction in which the directional benefits of the elastic thread arrangements of the Brown patent are not only ac- Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of my invention, illustrating it in the form mounted upon a figure;

Figure 2 is a slightly enlarged front perspective view thereof;

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the ment;

Figure 4 is a similar view to Figure 3, with the fastening element open; Figure 5 is a plan view showing a developed relationship of the various sections entering into the production of the garment illustrated in gar- Figures 1 to 4, the straps and garters being fragmentally shown;

,' Figure 6 is a front perspective view of my invention where embodied in the form of a girdle.

Figure 7 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment shown in Figure 6.

Making reference to the drawings, particularly Figures 1 to 5, the garment G therein illustrated is in the form of an all-in-one foundation garment in which there is provided a front'member In of inelastic material, whether made of single ply or multi-ply fabrics. The lower edge ll of this member is designed to be located in close adjacency to the crest of the pubis. The width of the member I to either side of the middle longitudinal line is suflicient to cover the umbilical region of the visceral cavity, preferably being no wider than the groin adjacent the crest of the pubis, and extending vertically upward to the point l2, where the lower ribs are encountered. It will thus be observedthat the width of the inelastic front member is well within the left and right crests of the ilium.

To the sides |3l3 of the front member Hi, there are amxed the side members l4 and II, which are generally triangular in shape, the apices l6 and H of which are positioned a short distance above the lower edge H of the front member Ill, for purposes which will appear more clearly as this description proceeds.

It will be observed that the side sections l4 and l5 provide diagonal edges I8 and I9, respectively, well within the points X, intended generally to show the crests of the The upwardly diverging direction of the edges l8 and I 9 is at an angle generally following the external oblique muscles of the abdomen.

The positioning of the fabric of which the side sections and 5 are made is with due regard to the angular position of the edges l8 and i9, which may vary in slope, depending upon the torso of the individual.

To the edges I8 and I9 are afllxed to the hip sections 20 and 2|, being thereby attached to the lower sides of the side members 4 and I5 and beyond the apices l6 and H, to the sides of the front section ID. The hip members 20 and 2| may-be extended to the medial portion of the garment below the edge ll of the front section III, to provide an elastic apron portion 22, drawing the inelastic front section I0 downward and exerting a flattening action below the pubis, found desirable on individuals who may be excessively fleshy at this portion of the body. It will be understood, however, that, as in the construction disclosed inthe Brown patent hereinbefore mentioned, this apron portion may be omitted, and the hip members begin from the comers 23 and 24, defining the lower corners of the front stecion iii.

The hip sections and 2| are extended toward the back, about the waist forming portions and the hip forming portions and are then attached to the rear panel 25, the side edges 26 whereof are shaped to provide form fitting characteristics.

I have found it desirable, though optional, to have the lower edges 21- inclined in the direction of the medial lines of the buttocks since this enhances the form fitting characteristics of the garment in a manner well understood.

The rear panel 25 is made of one or more layers of inelastic fabric, and is preferably provided with a medially'located slit 28, beginning at the upper edge ofthe garment and terminating slightly below the waistline. This slit is defined by the edges 29 and 30. A flap 3| is disposed to cover the slit 28 beneath the edges 29 and 30, serving as a padding for comfort as well as to support the eyes 32 adapted to be engaged by the hooks 33 on the respective sections. To the free edges 29 and 30, there may be disposed a series of complemental fastener elements 34, operable by a slider 35. Also adjacent the edges 29 .and 30, reinforcing stifleners or whale bones may be included, as will be readily understood.

In completing the garment, except for the features hereinafter to be amplified, there is included in the all-in-one" type of garment illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, a brassiere 36, to the apices 31 of which are appended shoulder straps 38, which are rearwardly directed and terminate in spaced elastic webbing elements 39, the latter of which are preferably attached to the upper apices and 4| of the extensions of the hip section's 20 and 2|, respectively.

A front set of garters 42 are ailixed to the lower edge 43, in close adjacency to the middle front of the garment. These garters are preferably angularly directed towards the medial front of the garment and the longitudinal direction of the straps is substantially at right angles to the elastic warp threads of the hip sections 20 and 2|. sitioned in the same general direction as the straps for the garters 42. Rear garters 44 are preferably suspended from the elastic loops ll. These loops are preferably mounted so as to have one edge suspended adjacent the edges 46 of the elastic hip sections. The-opposite edge of the loop 45 is anchored at." on the interior of the rear panel 25. Rear garters 44 and the suspension loops therefor are angularly divergently directed towards the front, cooperating with the front garters 42 and side garters 42a to secure a flattening eifect upon the buttocks.

In the construction shown, I prefer to provide.

the side sections l4 and I5 of warp knit elastic fabric so that the elastic warp threads thereof are generally in parallelism with the diagonal edges l8 and I9, respectively, and diverge upwardly from the sides of said inelastic front member, For the hip sections 2|! and 2|, similar warp knit elastic fabric is preferably employed so that the elastic warp threads are substantially perpendicular to the edges l3 and I9, respectively, and have the elastic warp threads arranged to diverge downwardly from the lower sides of the elastic side members and the side edges of the front member ID below the apices l6 and I1. I

Side garters 42a are angularly po-' In the views, I have diagrammatically shown the components which characterize the preferred fabric I employ by the group of arrows. The component 48 is in the direction of the elastic warp thread; the component 49 is across or at right angles to the elastic warp thread of the fabric; and the component ill is in a bias direction.

The extensiveness of the elastic components in the direction of the warp, across the warp, and on the bias is diagrammatically illustrated, as Well as directionally indicated. I

The fabric which I have found most suitable for my purposes and hereinbefore mentioned as a warp knit elastic fabric is one which approximately provides, in the quiescent state, about twenty elastic warp threads to the inch, and about sixteen cross ties to the inch, and in which the elastic warp thread is one known as a size fifty United States Rubber Company's Z lastex thread.

Where made of this material, the pattern for the garment has the parts thereof so that the relationship of elastic fabric to inelastic fabric is such as to allow for approximately twenty to thirty percent elongation of the elastic material,

transversely of the body at the waistline. At the-hip portions or the widest portion of the garment, the elastic fabric is provided in relation to the inelastic fabric so that the elastic fabric takes up approximately forty to sixty percent of the elongation transverse to the body at the hip line.

The provision of warp knit elastic fabric ofthe character described, with the elastic warp threads directionally located as above illustrated, is an exemplificati'on of a material which provides surface torsional characteristics in a plane substantially parallel to the surface of the fabric, while retaining the directional characteristics found desirable when embodied in the garment. Novelty is attributable to the arrangement of the elastic elements in relation to the inelastic elements in securing a, torsional elasticity in the plane parallel to the surface of thefabric, accentuating the novel construction of the Brown patent hereinbefore mentioned, especially'during more strenuous activity by one wearing the garment, and the desirable effect of tautening the inelastic front member ID is accentuated without loss of comfort, while intensifying the stresses that the elastic threads exerat during such adjustment of the body.

Furthermore, the provision of the elastic fabric which is capable of an elastic surface torsional adjustment in the plane of the fabric, exemplified by the employment of the warp knit elastic fabric, has the tendency to maintain the tautening of the inelastic front member, thereby to cradle the unbilical region despite shifting, twisting or turning of the body as whatever distension may occur in a direction across the fabric interposes a lateral stress against the elastic warp threads, utilizing the primary elasticity of these warp threads to secure the desired surface torsional adjustment during activity encountered in twisting, turning, bending or other movement of the body.

In Figures 6 and '7 I have illustrated a girdle GR, which has a front inelastic panel Illa, side sections Ila and la and hips sections 20a and 2la, all assembled together in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in the form of an all-in-one garment to which Figures 1 to 5 have been directed, except that the upper edge W of the garment terminates adjacent the waistline of the wearer. Longitudinally extended .stiffeners or whale bones may be included in the front inelastic panel Illa, as will be readily appreciated,

It will be observed that in Figure 7, illustrating the rear view of the embodiment of my invention in the form of a girdle, a rear panel 25a is provided, with a slit 28a, in connection with which slit 28a fastener elements, as previously exemplified in connection with the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 may be employed. However, the panel 25a in this embodiment may be uninterrupted by a slit, in which event I may find it desirable to locate a closure longitudinally in the hip section at a position found more convenient for girdle constructions.

The girdle construction, except for its termination adjacent the waistline, embodies all of the features described in connection with the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.

I It will be observed that another objective of my invention, aiding in the procurement of the features of said Brown patent is obtained by the inclusion of the inelastic back panel 25, in the case of the all-in-one garment (Figures 1 to 5), and the inelastic back panel 25a in the case of the girdle (Figures 6 and 7). The back panels being held down by the rear garters and being extended up the back of the garment assures the preservation of the directional location of the elastic threads in the hip sections, to prevent displacement to. a position where the elastic threads fail to exert their action downwardly divergent in respect of the side members.

The inelastic front member and the inelastic back panel at the waistline, in the transverse direction, are approximately fifty percent of the total dimension of the waistline in the quiescent condition. At the hip line, the inelastic back panel is approximately thirty-three and one-third percent of the total dimension, in a transverse direction. This relationship has been found desirable in the employment of the warp knit elastic fabric which I have exemplified, and it will be understood that as the characteristics of the elastic used are varied, or the fabric structure is varied by other fabrication procedure, such as weaving instead of knitting, changes in the, pattern may be found necessary, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

It will be understood that while my invention, in its preferred form, embodies all of the features described to secure the preferred results, the invention is not to be construed as limited to the employment of all of the features in one assembly, but is to be construed by the features embodied in various parts thereof, to which these parts are susceptible of use as defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

It will be further understood that while my foundation has its primary utility as now contemplated by me in the apparel field generally of the corset type, that upon further alteration thereof, such as the inclusion of leg portions and crotch portions, it may be embodied into other garments, such as bathing suits, by making other appropriate changes in the nature of the facing or exterior finish of the fabric, to make the same appropriate for this purpose, while embodying the essential principles of my construction.

In the appended claims, where I refer to a foundation garment, it will be understood that this terminology is applicable to either the allin-one or the girdle, if nototherwise expressly defined.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim'as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A foundation garment of the character described comprising an inelastic frontmember covering substantiall the front central portion of the body, two elastic fabric side members and two elastic fabric hip members, each of said set of members being fabricated from mixed elastic and inelastic threads, said side members being attached to a portion of each side of the front member and having primary elastic warp threads providing the primary elasticity arranged in a direction diverging upwardly from the sides of said inelastic front member, said hip members being attached to the lower sides of said side members and having primary elastic warp threads providing the primary elasticity arranged in a directiondiverging downwardly from the lower sides of said elastic side members, said side and hip members having the elements of which said fabric is produced constituting the elastic threads and the inelastic threads fabricated into a two-way stretch material with the secondary elasticity at right angles to the elastic warp threads, while retaining a greater elastic distensibility in the warp direction than either the bias or the direction at right angles to the elastic warp threads, providing substantially unencumbered elastic distension and substantially unencumbered elastic restoration in size of the fabric upon release of the tension of the primary elastic warp threads in the diverging directions aforesaid whereby torsional adjustability is imparted to the fabric permitting the activity of said elastic warp threads in the diverging directions aforesaid. i

2. A foundation garment of the character described comprising an inelastic front member covering substantially the front central portion of the body from approximately the crest of the pubis upwardly and confined substantially between the crests of the ilium, two elastic side members and two elastic hip members, each of which pairs of members is fabricated from mixed elastic and inelastic threads, said side members being attached to a portion of each of the side edges of the front member and comprising warp knit elastic fabric having elastic warp threads, providing the primary elasticity arranged in the direction diverging upwardly from the sides of said inelastic front member, said hip members being attached to the lower edges of said side members and comprising a warp knit elastic fabric having elastic warp threads providing the primary elasticity arranged in a direction diverging downwardly from the lower sides of said side members, said hip members being characterized by having the elements of which said fabric is produced constituting the elastic threads and the inelastic threads knit to arrange the same in respect to each other to permit substantially unencumbered elastic distension and substantially unencumbered elastic restoration in size of the fabric upon release of tension of the primary elastic war threads in the direction aforesaid whereby torsional surface adjustability is imparted to the fabric, securing substantial elastic activity of said elastic warp threads in the diverging direction aforesaid.

3. A foundation garment of the character def scribed comprising an inelastic front member providing the primary elasticity arranged in a direction diverging upwardly from the sides of said inelastic front member, said hip members being attached to the lower portion of the sides of said front member and joined together along the medial line of the garment and forming an elastic apron downwardly of said front member and below the crest of the pubis, said hip members being further joined to the lower sides of said side members and comprising warp knit elastic fabric having elastic warp threads providing the primary elasticity arranged in a direction diverging substantially at right angles to the warp threads of said side members and angularly directed downwardly from the sides of said front member, said warp knit elastic fabric of which said side members and hip members are formed being characterized by having the elements of which said fabric is produced constituting the elastic threads and the inelastic'threads knit to arrange the same in respect of each other to permit substantially unencumbered elastic distension and the substantially unencumbered elastic restoration in size of the fabric upon release of tension of the primary elastic threads in the diverging direction aforesaid, whereby torsional surface adjustability is imparted to the hip members and side members securing substantial elastic activity of said warp threads therein in the diverging directions aforesaid, and a back, me-

dially and longitudinally positioned panel of inelastic material attached to the rear edges of said hip members, serving to maintain the diverging directional relationship of the elastic warp threads in said side and hip members in respect of ,each

other as aforesaid.

4. A foundation garment in accordance with claim 1 wherein said hip members are extended and attached to the lower portion of the-front member and joined together along the medial line of the garmentand forming an elastic apron downwardly of said front member and below the crest of the pubis.

5. A foundation garment in accordance with claim 1 including a back, medially and longitudinally positioned, panel of inelastic material at- ARTHUR GOLDSTEIN.

apron down- 

